Boxing State of The Union: Real Talk From a Real Dude

Hei Kuinka Voit, Boxing fans! It is my pleasure to come back to you free of charge and short on drama.

Before we get started down the road of boxing scrutiny, let me first extend a muchas gracias to the boxing fans that have commented on my work and seem to really care about the pugilistic art.

Today’s agenda, ladies and gentlemen, is boxing as it stands today. This scribe has made relationships in the industry because of interviews and promotions and in becoming friends with such folk, I am starting to understand the sport.

I have several things that need to be examined. This examination is not just mine fans, it is yours as well. This sport like this great country belongs to the people.

We the fans and I believe that those who control the direction of the sport are currently not hitting on all cylinders. It has gotten to the point where people are trying to question boxing’s place in America.

I am not sure about you, my friends, but this sport means the world to me and the overall direction of the industry concerns me.

Not just the financial side of the equation. Now in the following Egzamin I will present some questions that have been plaguing me and then I will try my best to answer those questions.

I am going to warn you fans…..stay the course as you read this article kids, because some things I say might not appeal to you.

1. Why is MMA closing the gap and in some people's eyes, passing boxing?

Well, let’s be honest and lets not carried away. For 120 years, prize fighting has been in play, no matter how primitive the form, boxing goes back to Reconstruction.

For anyone to suggest that MMA is swallowing boxing constitutes a Pompous prisoner of the moment statement.

From the model T to the PF flyers, boxing has been in the backdrop before during and after. MMA is a growing fetus in relation to boxing when it comes to time served. Baseball, horse racing, boxing and golf I will say are true American pastimes.

MMA is not and never will be. EVER. I want to also take this chance to tell Dana White to shove it. Here he is in all his glory with his sport doing so well and growing and every time a microphone is in his face he trashes boxing.

It’s not enough that he is raking in the dough like few others. Its not enough because in his heart of hearts he wants to become boxing. He wants to replace it. The problem is, it won't happen in this lifetime or the next.

2.What is the interim title in boxing and why is it becoming so abundant in Boxing?

Ce qui me rend tellement fou! I can’t tell you how many times I talk to people in boxing who hate this concept.

In layman's terms, an interim title is a glorified mandatory mandate. It simply means that the current champion is mandated to fight you and until that happens you are the interim titlist.

What they DON’T talk about is the fact that this is simply a ploy to make money by the evil sanctioning bodies. They in so many words appoint two champions and make double the money.

Sergio Martinez is the 154-pound WBC “Interim” champion. Now the real WBC 154 pound champion Mr. Forrest is not hurt, he is not dead; he is just fine coming off a nice comeback victory to regain his title. Now if you use the term interim it should mean that the incumbent whatever the field is unable to work or has been fired.

In the NFL when a coach gets fired in mid season and the GM names an Interim head coach they don’t keep they guy they fired along side with the interim guy.

That’s exactly what these sanctioning bodies are doing. It like having two head coaches when traditionally there is only one. The problem is they ARE making more money, which is only going to tilskynde the awful practice of the Interim champion.

This is a shameful trend in the boxing world and it is pushing away mainstream fans, because they simply don’t know who the f&&&&&&ing champion is in any given division.

They also are driving away potential fans because this concept that is emerging is going to make a unified champion obsolete.

3.What happened to the Big Live gates?

Before he died, my grandfather in all his splendor spoke to me of a time when 100,000 people would pack horse tracks and baseball stadiums to watch boxing. Dempsey vs. Willard, Joe Vs Max.

Boxing used to be an attraction that was nothing short of a spectacle. Wrigley Field, Yankee stadium were regular sites and incredible draws. Imagine a packed Rose Bowl for a mega fight. That used to be the way of things.

The man who promoted Jack Dempsey (his name evades me; sorry, fans) once set up 100,000 chairs in a field and put on a boxing promotion. Even though that is somewhat over the top the point is the live gates are way too low.

The MGM Grand holds what? Maybe 18,000? I could be wrong. How amazing would it be to have Mayweather/PAC at Ford Field in Detroit?

It would be a watershed moment in the sport. It would change the perspective of the average consumer that boxing is now a clandestine art. And it would uplift promoters and the Greenburg’s of the world to understand that it is possible to make boxing a mainstream major sport again.

This is all me being nostalgic. It will never happen. They will continue to ignore the fans and do what’s best for business. The problem is they are taking huge hits at the box office so either they must figure it out or the overall purses of the combatants will continue to suffer.

Coming soon: Part 2

Random thoughts

- I think what the WBA did to lightweight world champion Nate Cam is a disgrace. He worked his whole career to finally become the unified 135 pound champion, and then the WBA did everything they could to force his hand. As stated above, sanctioning bodies are spineless jellyfish.

- Let's be honest..Andre Berto’s comments after the fight that he was going to give Collaz a rematch is with out question colored bubbles. It does not mean anything. It was the right thing to say, but why go over the same stepping-stone twice?

- How bad was Bob Papa on HBO. He repeatedly called Berto’s first round stumble a knockdown. I mean not just a round or two after, but the WHOLE fight. He also mispronounced Lou’s name throughout the fight. MEMO to HBO: Fire that guy and hire Brian Kenny.

- Why in the world would that Justice not use notes when giving Obama the oath? That was easily one of the biggest goofs in American history.

-Today was amazing but there was one thing missing….well one person. Lyndon B Johnson was not mentioned and let me point out it was HE who pushed the civil rights bill through legislation.